Chapter 3

I gave Meryl a mocking smile. "I don't deserve to be your friend. My existence will only be a stain on your reputation. Don't you think so?"

Her expression shifted drastically, and she hurried after me. "This won't affect our friendship. Adam, come back! Do you hear me?"

I didn't respond to her anymore. I simply kept walking, leaving Meryl far behind.

When I returned to my dorm, I prepared all the documents I needed to study abroad and went to see my advisor to apply for an exchange program.

There was a two-year international program available. When I returned, I would immediately graduate. It was the fastest way I could find to leave this place.

However, when the advisor saw the blood covering my body, he sent me straight to the infirmary without even asking me about what had happened.

When I entered, I saw Kara carefully treating Jackson's wounds.

Kara had once pursued me. In my previous life, however, she chose to stand by her best friend Jackson without hesitation.

When I refused to apologize, she was furious enough to record a video and upload it to the campus forum, calling on everyone to isolate me.

As a result, during the three days I was locked inside the abandoned classroom, not a single student who passed by chose to respond to my desperate slamming and cries for help.

When Kara saw me at the infirmary, the warmth that used to fill her bright, round eyes disappeared. Instead, she looked at me warily.

"How do you still have the nerve to come here? Jackson is severely injured because of you. There's barely a patch of good skin left on him, and he's in unbearable pain right now. If you're not here to apologize, leave."

It was hard to believe that the same person who was now looking at me with hatred had only yesterday shyly handed me a pink love letter. She had whispered in my ear that she was into me.

Jackson forced himself to stand up, pretending to be magnanimous and willing to forgive.

"Kara, don't get mad at him. He probably didn't mean for any of this to happen. It rained yesterday, and the rooftop was slippery. It's understandable that he accidentally pushed me."

Hearing that only darkened Kara's expression even more. She laughed coldly. "No way. The rain from yesterday had already dried up. He clearly shoved you on purpose!"

She turned to me. "Adam, Jackson comes from a single-parent family. His mother is bedridden. Have you ever thought about how devastated she'd be if he died from the fall you caused?"

Jackson quickly stopped Kara, who seemed hostile toward me. "I'm sorry. Did I say something I shouldn't have? Please don't let this create a rift between you two. I know you have feelings for him, Kara."

She scoffed and spat, "Ew. No, I don't."

If this had been my previous life, I would've desperately tried to prove my innocence in front of Kara. Now, instead of getting angry, I calmly looked at Jackson.

"I'm sorry. It was indeed my mistake for accidentally pushing you. I hope you can give me a chance to make up for it. To show you how much I mean it, I'll apologize to you in front of the whole campus."

My words left both of them stunned. After all, the last time we met, I had made it clear that I would never back down.

But I figured it out now. The public apology would just be an act. Anyone could do it. If I really wanted to perform, I could very much outshine Jackson in that aspect.

Kara looked at me, her tone softening slightly. "If you're willing to do that, I suppose there's no need to do it in front of the whole campus. Just apologize to Jackson in person."

Meanwhile, Jackson was no longer as calm as before. He stared at me with suspicion. After all, he knew better than anyone that I had never pushed him off the rooftop.

When I walked out of the infirmary, Kara followed me from behind. She stuffed some bandages and medicine into my hands. "Adam, use these to treat your injuries."

I didn't refuse, but simply asked, "How much are they? I'll wire the money to you."

She looked rather awkward. "You used to take care of me like this before. Why are you being so weird now? We don't have to draw such clear lines between us."

Little did she expect that my following words would catch her off guard.